I do not own any and or all of the above, a car, a house, a horse, a multi billion dollar film franchise called Star Wars, or really awesome children's books documenting Obi-Wan's childhood. Also I'm not apologizing for how late this is, or how I didn't really edit it because I had exams and move out this week. Ooo I hate how I'm turning into a long author's note kinda person, I hate long A/Ns.

Chapter 8. Quinlan Comes for Another Visit

It took Ben the better part of a year to find the parts for the first two lightsabers. The first of which he gave to Shmi, much to her protests, the second, after he had helped Shmi make hers, he gave to Anakin, who was not allowed to even touch the parts until he solemnly swore he would never ever raise a blade but in the defense of good and love. Despite her earlier objections it was Shmi who insisted they practice every day until they had everything Ben remembered down perfect, and then they began to invent their own moves.

The third blade was giving Ben trouble, every crystal he had stolen just wasn't quite right some how. He had even gone so far as to rob the only jewelry store in town, risking a public execution on a torture stick, the most common punishment for slaves who stole.

He felt like screaming at the force. The force was telling him he was needed NOW! Or at least sometime soon, time was rather relative to something that had seen all of it, but it refused to give him a weapon to do so. Which was why when it woke him, ONCE AGAIN, in the middle of the night, he felt for the first time in his life like insulting it with his impressive collection of swear words and turning over and going back to sleep. Except for the fact that his mother flicked on the light, and at his groan dumped him out of bed with a force push.

"I know you felt that. Get up and go see what it is. If they're nice invite them to dinner." And only because despite years as a slave Ben still had a Jedi's ingrained politeness in him he didn't transfer what he had been saying to the force to his mother, and instead simply replied,

"Yes, Mother." And collecting an already alert nine-year-old Anakin went to go see what it was. It didn't take them long to find the disturbance.

"Who is that?" Anakin asked innocently as they stared over the edge of a building at a well muscled man dressed in sleeveless leathers with long dreadlocks and a yellow stripe across his nose trying to break his way into a building owned by the hutts.

"That is a drick eating, screcking, frukking, son of a bitch, named Quinlan Vos. Don't tell Mom where you learned those words." Anakin scrunched up his nose in offense at the implication that he would.

"Of course not, Beni. Isn't that the Jedi you said came to visit us when we belonged to Gardulla."

"Yes, he dragged me out of bed then too." Just then Quinlan managed to set off an alarm, and guards came running, sending Quinlan running as well. "Come on Ani, this time you can help me get him out of trouble again." And so they did.

It was simple enough really. They sent out force pushes, toppling over containers in all directions, sending the guards running in all directions, and then hauled Quinlan up onto the roof with them.

"Have you really not learned your lesson yet Quin?" Ben poked Quin in the middle of his chest, "You" poke, "do not" poke "mess" poke "with the hutts!"

"Good to see you too Ben. I assume this is Ani. Jeezuz kid you sprouted. Also Bant's not mad at you anymore Obi."

"You have pretty hair." Anakin commented, staring up at Quinlan.

"Thank you for telling me Quin. I assume you can handle the rest on your own?" Ben growled, ignoring Anakin and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Thanks kid, yours is nice too." Quin ruffled Anakin's own blonde mop, "Yeah sure Ben, shouldn't be too hard."

"Great don't make me get up in the middle of the night again, and you're expected for dinner at seven tomorrow sharp. Come on Ani, I bet we can salvage a few hours of sleep yet." And with that the two brothers disappeared over the rooftops leaving a Jedi to find his own way home.

Quinlan did in fact arrive the next night at seven sharp. Bearing two gifts, one a letter from Satine, which Ben took with trembling fingers. He had told Satine only to contact Quinlan Vos with news in an extreme emergency. He tucked the letter in his innermost pocket, over his heart, the same place he used to keep Bant's model starfighter, which now sat over Anakin's heart. He would read it latter when he was alone. The second gift was Ben's lightsaber, the one that he had left at the temple, and the one that he was not supposed to need as an agri-corps worker. If he had brought it with him, as he had been tempted, it probably would have been long gone.

"How on earth did you get this?" Ben asked Quinlan in shock, turning the now too small weapon over in his hands.

"Nicked it, actually. Had a feeling I would run into you on this trip."

"Thank you Quin, I was beginning to get desperate." And with a small pop clicked open the lightsaber and withdrew the crystals. Obi-Wan ginned at them, as they practically buzzed in his hand. "Oh I missed you two. I am sorry I left you behind, but I didn't really have a choice."

"Beni." Shmi spoke, from where she had just entered from the kitchen.

"Yes Mom?"

"Why are you talking to a pair of crystals?"

"Because I felt guilty for leaving them in the temple. Quin brought them for me."

"Excellent. Also dinner's ready. There will be no lightsabers at the table, or fixing of lightsabers. Is that clear?" and that was the end of that.

Dinner itself was a pleasant affair. Anakin was full of questions for Quinlan, where he had been, how is mission was going, exciting adventures, what the temple was like. In essence he was a typical nine year old boy, bouncing in his seat.

Talk had turned more serious as Anakin had gotten tired and hence quieter. Ben had asked how Satine had been when Quinlan had seen her. Although he was disappointed to learn that she had actually contacted him through secure channels, not actually seen her in person, Quinlan did have news of her. Satine had joined her sister, on one of the moons of Mandalore, where they were leading the rebellion, wearing traditional armor. There was other news, but Quin refused to tell him until Ben had read the letter.

Other things were not going so well either; the trade federation was taking over more and more, as well as their fellow guilds, most notably the techno guild. There was some unrest within the Order as well. One of the council members, Master Dooku, and his pupil, Qui-Gon Jinn, who was apparently still "pissed" at Ben, although Ben couldn't see why, were beginning to preach reform, and it was not going over well.

Finally after Anakin had gone to bed, and everyone else had settled down after dinner, Shmi to make jewelry that she sometimes sold, and Quinlan to meditate, Ben opened the letter from Satine with dread. They had agreed to contact each other only in the most extreme of circumstances. Shmi's stomach too sank. After reading the first line, Ben's face drained of all color, although the force was strangely silent. Ben read it through completely, before turning to Shmi.

"Ben what's wrong, what's happened?

Then as if a switch had been flicked, Ben's face suddenly lit up in completely joy.

"Congratulations Mom. You're a grandmother."

"What!" Shmi called, as Ben pulled her out of her chair and into a hug.

"Satine didn't realize she was pregnant until a couple months after she left. It's all in the letter Mom." Ben was practically singing. "I have a daughter. Oh Mom, I have a daughter. Her name is Shya. Here read." And he shoved the letter into Shmi's hand, just so he could clasp Quinlan in a hug.

"You knew, Quinlan you Bastard, you knew, that's why you wouldn't tell me."

"I'm sorry Ben, but Satine made me promise not to say anything until you'd read. I have holos too." He held them up as a peace offering. Ben grabbed them as if a starving man to bread.

"Oh she's beautiful." Ben was lost in the pictures already, gently touching the face in the pictures as if he could touch the real face a thousand parsecs away.

"Ben." Suddenly Shmi was pulling on his sleeve. "Ben it says she's coming."

"I know." Ben was instantly serious, "Mom, I know we don't have much, and please forgive me for asking, but I want Shya to stay here, with us. Our life is bad, but my daughter, oh gods I have a daughter, she's living in a war zone."

"She is my granddaughter, I would not turn her away, but Watto may. Consider your options carefully, Beni. Like you said things are changing."

"I may have a solution, Ben. What if I take her to the temple?" Quinlan pipped in. "She will be safe there."

Ben's face went even whiter then when he had read the letter, and his fear easily rippled through the force.

"NO, Quin, no. The temple is not safe, not safe at all. Please don't ask that of me. I can't give up my daughter to die in a war, or in a slaughter. I will fight, but please at least let me try and protect her, help her before she fights."

"Ben, I didn't mean… I'm sorry I asked, forgive me?"

"I'm sorry Quin, you didn't know. There is nothing to forgive." He let out a harsh laugh, "Thank the gods, I never actually became a Jedi. I form attachments much to easily."

"Sometimes Ben, I think you're a better Jedi then all of us."

"Beni, Mom, what's going on?" Anakin's sleepy head peaked around the corner.

"I'm sorry we woke you Ani," Ben spoke picking up Anakin, "but I had a letter from Satine."

"Is she alright?" Ani asked, suddenly alert.

"She's fine, actually more than fine. I have a daughter Ani; you have a niece. Her name is Shya, and she's a little under a year old. Satine is bringing her soon."

"Really!"

"Yes really, and she might stay. Now it's late, and we have to get up early to work, and Quin to drink, bed."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes we all have to." and they did. Although Ben stayed up a little later, reading and rereading the words, and he fell asleep with the picture of his daughter under his pillow.

The next day Ben stayed late at the shop, so he could speak to Watto alone.

"Master please, I must ask you something." Ben started in huttese

"What do you want Ben, it's been a long day."

"I received a letter from Satine last night." He replied handing over the letter. Watto snatched it, as was his habit, perusing it quickly. His bulbous eyes widened as he read.

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes Master, I- I am not sure what to do Master, and if this displeases you I will start with begging your forgiveness."

"No, as enjoyable as that would be, it's Satine you need to apologize to. I told you not to screw this up, and low and behold you did. Stupid boy, you practically abandoned that poor woman with a child. You belong to me, no matter what you do you can't support her. I should have never let you see her."

"I should have listened to you Master I am sorry, please there must be some way I can care for her. Can't you think of anything? What if you rented me out more at nights, could I send that money to her?"

"No, no that wouldn't work at all. You would be too tired to work during the day, and you're just not that popular Ben." Suddenly Ben's face lit up as if he had suddenly had an idea. Only his mother and perhaps Anakin could tell he was faking.

"Master what of the laws of ownership? The hutts decree that if two slaves have a child the child belongs to the father's Master, if the father is known."

"Satine is not a slave boy."

"What if you put the mother down as unknown or dead?"

"Then I'd be stuck with a slave who could do no work, and you with your time sucked up caring for an infant."

"But she could do work someday. Either way you win Master, eventually you gain back what you have lost with the two years my daughter can't work, or Satine buys her back for much more then you lost." Ben could slowly see Watto being won over. He waited with baited breath, to see how Watto would respond.

"I don't understand you humans. How could you do this, do you know nothing of common sense. Besides why would you put your child in slavery?"

"You read the letter Master, Satine is fighting in a war. I would rather have my child in slavery, then dead before she could live, even if it is a stunted life." Watto was teetering on the edge. Ben had put Watto in the position of benevolent protector of the stupid humans, and he knew Watto liked that, feeling superior. Just a little more, Ben thought, before pressing on.

"Please Master," he begged dropping to his knees. "please allow me to atone for my mistakes, for not listening to you. I need your help, please don't let my daughter suffer for something I've done. She rightfully belongs to you anyway." Maybe that was a bit thick, Ben swallowed nervously, as Watto didn't reply right away. Watto turned, stroking his chin, rotating slowly in the air, thinking. Finally he turned back to Ben.

"When Satine comes your daughter may stay."

"Thank you Master." Ben spoke, true relief coloring his voice. His daughter was safe, well relatively. He bowed down, forehead touching the ground, before rising to his feet once again. "Her name is Shya Master. For all that I have done her a disservice brining her into the world" He bloody well had not, Ben thought to himself, "I hope that she will be a blessing, in our lives."

"As do I. Now out, it is late." And so Ben left, restraining his joy until he was in the slave quarter sharing the news of his daughter with everyone he met.

Satine came three weeks later, with no warning. The door chime of the shop simply rang one day, and Anakin looking up, found a familiar figure framed in the bright outline of the sand swept doorway.

"Satine!" he'd called running forward and hugging her around the legs, then, "Ben! Beni come here quick!"

"Anakin, there's no need to-" and Ben pulled up short, as Satine came into view, dropping the oily rag he'd been holding. In two long steps he had crossed the room, taking Satine's face in his hands, and drawing her into a deep kiss.

He drew back not saying anything, just wearing a goofy grin, and staring into her eyes.

"So where is she?" Anakin piped in, annoyed at all the gooey stuff. Both adults still looking a little woozy, turned to look at him with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Shya! Your daughter?" Anakin exclaimed, giving them both looks as if they had lost their minds. Satine suddenly seemed to snap out of her haze, and then she withdrew the back pack from her back, and they were able to see that it was not in fact a back pack but a baby carrier, done in traditional Mandalorian style, with a stiff back and laced up the front like a shoe lace, with a an upside down U shaped sun shade. However only Anakin noticed this, Ben was too busy staring in awe at what it contained.

Within lay a sleeping baby girl, with tufts of tawny red hair slipping through a light crocheted cap. Satine was already carefully unlacing the straps of the carrier, and lifting the small thing dressed in light linens into Ben's arms.

Ben's arms quickly found the position in which they had frequently been in nine years ago and had never truly forgotten, although this wasn't Anakin this was his daughter. His daughter Shya; suddenly everything felt unbearably fragile and awkward. As if one wrong breath would splinter this precious thing into a million pieces. Just when Ben felt panic rising in his throat, a pair of perfect bright blue eyes opened and latched on to his, and the world stopped.

"Hello, little one." Ben whispered, he could feel her in the force. Gently probing her mind, he felt her simple thoughts, and to his astonishment found that she trusted him already, that she, some how just as Anakin had long ago, knew him. He gently let her know through the force that he trusted her back, that he knew her, that he had been waiting for her, and was glad she was here, and then his thoughts, which had not really been in words anyway drifted off into simple comforting murmurs of love.

Satine slipped her arm around his waist, and put her chin on his shoulder.

"This is our daughter Shya, I have not yet given her a last name, I thought to give that honor up to you."

"Oh gods above Satine, that is a harder task then you realize."

"How so? I thought your culture was matrilineal."

"Yes and no. My original last name was Lars, but when children in my family are sent to the Jedi we receive special names. The name I went by as a Jedi was Kenobi. Shmi's culture is patrilineal, but both Anakin and I had no father, so we took her last name. Then there is your last name, we are not married, so by Shmi's customs Shya should have your last name."

"Well that's easy to fix." Anakin once again butted in, causing both adults to turn to him. "Shya's not a Jedi so her name shouldn't be Ken-whatever, and it's not Lars cause you can't remember them Ben. Then you two can just get married, and now her name is Skywalker. See it rhymes! Shya Skywalker. Perfect!" Anakin finished jumping off the counter, and skipping out to go find Shmi.

The adults turned to each other, still a bit in shock.

"He does propose an easy solution." Satine spoke, lacing her fingers through Ben's.

"He does. How about it Satine Kryyze? Will you marry me?"

"Frankly I'd never considered doing anything else."

"Good, How does tomorrow sound.?"

"Hmm such a long engagement?"

"Tonight then. Jira will be happy to do so." Ben responded kissing her heartily, before his daughter protested with squawk at being squished. Making both parents break out in laughter.

The wedding was simple, they jumped over a broom, and spoke a few words and that was it. Jira was happy to marry them, and happy for them, however gossip abounded, and some of the neighborhood, especially the younger women were not. Not many people could understand them, why was the spacer marrying Ben when he was still in slavery? Because they had the child? Even though the woman was just taking right off again, and leaving her child in slavery? It was obvious to all that the couple was happy, although that was all that was obvious.

The new family spent their wedding night separate on Satine's ship. Ben treasured every moment; they would perhaps be the only ones they ever had just as a normal family. Duty ripped them apart, but at the same time kept them together, because the parts they loved most in each other, the parts that defined them were rooted in duty, and a desire to help and protect. It was only for a moment tucked in Satine's arms, that Ben wished he really was just Ben Lars, first mate on a smuggling ship to his lady, Captain Satine, with their new child, perhaps running spice for the hutts. He then laughed when he realized that even in his fantasies of normal life he was still leading an exciting life that most people could only dream of.

At the low rumbling of his chest from his laugh, his wife, by the gods he loved saying that, snuggled closer to him in her sleep. Tomorrow was rest day, they could face all the of the unpleasantness tomorrow, tonight he could sleep peacefully, and be content even if his daughter decided to wake him up with crying.

Satine was surprisingly easy to talk into the plan of leaving Shya on Tatooine. She knew that despite the danger of simply being on the planet, it was still safer than an outright warzone, and she could not be leaving Shya in more protective hands. Ben would guard his daughter with his life, and well Watto would guard her as he guarded his money, which was to say very, very well.

Satine knew logically she was making the right choice, but it didn't stop her from letting out a few ragged sobs quietly the moment the ship switched over to autopilot in hyperspace. Nor did it stop Ben from hugging his daughter to him and crying soft tears after everyone else had gone to bed.

Shya turned out to be a very sweet tempered child. In the traditions of Satine's warlike people, Satine had trained Shya to not cry by pinching on Shya's nose whenever she did so, so that positions would not be given away by a child's loud sobbing. Shya did cry but not long and not very loudly, more whining when she needed something, and at almost a year old it was easy enough for Ben to teach her to call out in the force as well. Shya was learning to use the force the same way most children learned to talk, as she was constantly surrounded by people using it. Of course the more difficult things such as telekinesis would take lessons and work when she was older but she could sense and feel things easily, using the force as a regular part of her senses, simply a part of what she was.

Ben found it much easier to care for Shya then Anakin. Although they were of about the same temperament as babies, Shya was older, and there were more people to care for her, including an initially reluctant Quinlan Vos, who was still seemingly trying to get himself killed investigating the hutts. Ben did the same with Shya as he had with Anakin, often strapping her to his back as he worked, or setting her near by. Although this was getting more difficult as she grew older, giving her more mobility and making her speedier.

Shya was beginning to pull herself up on things, and crawling where she wasn't supposed to. Although, through the force she generally knew what was safe and what wasn't that didn't help her if she wasn't strong enough or big enough to stop things from hurting her. Shya had been living with them for a month when a very poisonous snake had almost bitten her. Remembering the protocol droid that had helped them watch out for Anakin when they lived with Gardulla, Ben had ordered Anakin to work as fast as he could on C-3PO, then Ben had headed off into the desert in the middle of the night with Shya on his back.

He had returned with a baby Scyk clutching and mewling around a giggling Shya's shoulders. Scyk's were long heavily muscled reptilian animals native to Tatooine, with even longer snouts full of very sharp poisonous teeth and a sail like ridge on its back. They were extremely vicious and attacked people at random. Their favorite food also happened to be snakes, specifically poisonous snakes.

However at the moment the Scyk was no bigger than Ben's hand from tip of his middle finger to wrist. It would grow quickly and eventually be as long as he was tall. It was Shya who had picked the Scyk out. Ben had snuck into a Scyk's nest in one of the canyons and after calming the only recently hatched Scyks with his mind and placed Shya into the middle of the withering mass. It had become immediately clear that she favored one over all the others, a male with large brown patches on its sides. Ben began weaving a bond on the spot between his daughter and the now calm but usually vicious animal.

It was Anakin who had discovered the ability to form bonds with animals. Jedi who were allowed no attachments, had either never had the ability in the first place or had lost it over time. Living with Gardulla, Anakin had formed weak bonds with many of the scaly creatures that had wandered into their cave home. Some of them had even followed him to Watto's and either lived at the shop or under his bed at home. Ben and Shmi put up with them grudgingly. Essentially by purposefully creating such a tight bond so early in both Shya and the Scyk's life he had given Shya an unwavering guard who would protect his daughter to its last poisonous fanged breath.

Anakin had been thrilled with the new animal, and declared immediately that it was a he not an it, and that its name was Flowers.

"How do you know its name is Flowers?" Ben asked from as he leaned against the counter, to where Anakin was playing with Shya and Flowers on the floor.

"He told me when I asked. And I told you Beni, Flowers is a he not an it."

"I know, I know, but really flowers?"

"It's what Flowers wants to be called. He thinks they're pretty. Here look." And Anakin directed Ben towards the Scyk's mind. Sure enough Flowers thought that his scales looked like the pretty things that grew under some of the rocks at the oasis. They drank water and liked the sun and so did he. Hence according to Anakin's logic the Scyk was to be called Flowers, and so he was.

Flowers grew at an alarming rate, although luckily he did his own hunting. By the time Shya hit her first birthday a month later Flowers was as long as Shya, and the crate that Shya slept in instead of a crib was too small to hold both of them, as they wouldn't sleep apart. Ben didn't mind, what was going to attack his daughter when she slept next to a thing designed to kill everything except krayt dragons?

It was at the addition of Flowers to their family that Ben began to be called Wizard. He had always been considered a bit eccentric, often stopping people in the street randomly and giving little snips of advice that came in handy at odd times and performing those amazing acrobatics of his, but now not only did he charm a beautiful spacer into marrying him and giving him a beautiful daughter, but he spelled wild beasts into protecting his family. At first people had thought him insane, even letting his daughter near the thing. Latter many were just spooked by the tame Scyk, and new customers coming into the shop often had a shock, especially when they saw the infant playing next to the Scyk. Ben had taken to tying Flowers to a wall so people were at least partly reassured. Watto was pleased though; no one stole or tried to cheat him. Ever. Eventually people grew used to it, and treated it just like any other pet.

If you were to walk into Watto's shop on any given day, after you're eyes had adjusted to the darkness, the first thing you would notice would be the mess and grime. After that you would notice one of two good looking but filthy and ragged males tending counter, sometimes both. The elder would be short but handsome, made even more so by the baby often strapped to his back. The younger would be more adorable than handsome, with his blonde hair, button nose, and blue eyes. When the younger male had a baby strapped to his back, you often pitied both little ones. No one that young should have to take care of someone even younger; it was a sign of abject poverty.

Then you would notice the Scyk. Heaven knows where that would be. At only two feet long, it could be sleeping on the counter, or prancing like some feline between feet, or hissing at you tied by a rope around its neck in the corner.

At the sight of the Scyk whether you knew what it was or not, your heart would skip a beat, and you might take a step back. If you were truly lucky, your heart would jump out of your chest at the sight of a human infant with a tuft of bright red hair, sitting on a blanket and playing with the thing, or perhaps napping, the Scyk curled up next to it, whistling softly through its large nostrils.

If you had come to see the Wizard Ben you knew at the sight of the tame wild thing you had come to the right place. Not many outside the slave quarter came to see him, and many outsiders were shocked by his young age and normal appearance. You had to make sure that Watto wasn't there, but if you did it was always worth it. He gave good advice, that made it seem sometimes as if he could see the future, and he could cure little colds and other ailments with just a touch of his fingers. In return the wizard asked only that you be kind and help others and occasionally for information or a favor, maybe if you had seen or heard anything that stood out to you, or perhaps to carry a message to a neighboring town. The Wizard's little brother was often near, small upturned face watching, sometimes helping. Some people Ben turned away or could not help, and sometimes he wondered if he was wise in revealing so much of his power. Perhaps some one would take notice and come to investigate, and then Ben thought of all the charlatans practicing just on Tatooine and laughed at himself. He would be lost among the flood.

Unfortunately Ben was not a charlatan and so two months after Shya's first birthday both he and Anakin woke from visions panting. Rising up on his elbows for a minute Ben listened with both the force and his ears to see if he had woken any one else.

"Da-da?" Shya's voice called out in the darkened room. Ben groaned quietly to himself, apparently his distress had awoken Shya.

"Shhhh. Honey, everything's all right." He comforted lifting her to his shoulder from where she had been standing by gripping the edge of her makeshift crib. "Things are just coming, that's all, sweetie." Ben muttered rubbing soothing circles on his daughter's back. He heard a rustle of scales, and felt Flowers slither down from the crib and rub his snout against Ben's leg. "Everything's fine for you too Flowers. Don't worry, everything is going to be all right."

"Ben?" Anakin called appearing in the doorway of Ben's room, holding an oil lamp, as their electricity was turned off at night. "Did you- did you see something too?"

"Yes Ani. We'll talk about it in the morning. I need Quinlan's advice as well. Did you want to sleep with me tonight?" Ben spoke beckoning Anakin to come in.

Anakin nodded placing the lamp on a side table, and taking Ben's hand. The shelf that Ben slept on was a tight fit for the three humans and one reptile but they managed it. Although it was a waste of precious oil, the lamp stayed on for the rest of the night.

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